“…unless the Red Sox win it all, baseball will crown an eighth different champion in eight years, showing an exciting display of parity.”

With the ALCS and NLCS under way, a season that began with thirty teams has dwindled to four: the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies.

Of these four, only the Red Sox made the playoffs last year, and the only other team with a playoff appearance this decade is when Arizona won the Fall Classic in 2001 against the hated New York Yankees.

With this newfound parity in baseball, all these teams possess justifiable optimism for winning the World Series.

Cleveland is a young and untried playoff team, but what they lack in experience they make up for in talent. Boasting the best bullpen of any playoff team and the best one-two pitching combination in C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona, the Indians dismantled the Yankees in the first round of the playoffs.

Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner and Victor Martinez carry the offense and provide leads for the renowned bullpen. However, their weak link lies in their closer, Joe Borowski who led the American League with 45 saves, despite his unsightly 5.07 ERA and the fact that opposing batters hit a very high .289 against him.

Nonetheless, Cleveland has most of the pieces to make a sustained run in the playoffs.

Facing the upstart Indians will be the battle tested behemoth from Boston: the mighty Red Sox. Owning a pitching trio of Cy Young candidate Josh Beckett, 2004 World Series hero Curt Schilling, and Japanese import Daisuke Matsuzaka, the Boston rotation remains very formidable.

The rotation can turn leads over to the heralded bullpen with lights-out closer Jonathan Papelbon finishing games for manager Terry Francona and the Sox. Combine a solid staff and a phenomenal closer with war club-wielding stars such as Manny Ramirez and David “Big Papi” Ortiz and one can see why Boston should be considered the favorite to win it all.

In the National League, the Arizona Diamondbacks, managed by Bob Brenly, seem like an unlikely candidate to appear in the NLCS, as they finished last in team batting average at a paltry .250 and last in runs with only 712.

However, they finished fourth in team ERA with Cy Young candidate Brandon Webb leading the league with a 3.01 ERA. At the end of games, they have closer Jose Valverde who won the saves title with 47 and help opposing batter below the Mendoza line with a .196 average.

With multidimensional stars on offense such as rookie centerfielder Chris Young, who hit 32 homeruns and swept 27 bases, and outfielder Eric Byrnes, 21 four-baggers and 50 thefts, Arizona does what it needs to win games. In sports, the whole is usually greater than the sum of its parts and the Diamondbacks exemplify that.

Preventing Arizona from walking into the World Series is NL West divisional rival Colorado Rockies. The red-hot Rockies have won 17 of their last 18 leading up to the showdown with the Diamondbacks, including a sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies in the first round of the playoffs.

While not possessing great pitching, they can rely on solid starter Jeff Francis when he takes the hill. But the Rockies, hailing from Coors Field, win by outscoring their opponents, and as a result the final score may look like the Broncos played the Cardinals. Led by MVP candidate Matt Holliday and ROY candidate Troy Tulowitzki, this team can score runs in bunches, even away from Coors Field, as evidenced by putting 14 runs up in two road games against Philadelphia to open the NLDS.

The Rockies and manager Clint Hurdle also have momentum on their side, a powerful ally during a time when a team searches for any potential advantage.

With three new teams to the post-season venue this year, and a Boston team that never lacks excitement or drama, the rest of the baseball season should be entertaining and exhilarating.

While the Brewers did not make it, at least Arizona demonstrated what a complete joke the Cubs still remain.

On paper, the Red Sox seem like the most logical choice to win the World Series, but if games were decided on paper, then the Yankees would just collect their rings every year. Fortunately they are not and, in the process, unless the Red Sox win it all, baseball will crown an eighth different champion in eight years, showing an exciting display of parity. One other interesting fact: Of the four teams left, only the Boston Red Sox have a payroll over 100 million. The next closest is Cleveland with a payroll of 61.1 million, relatively small in the world of professional baseball.

Brewer fans rejoice, for this could be us next year.

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